debarcle - def = A total, often ludicrous failure
Apologies now for this being so long but I have so many niggles I just needed to vent to people who’d understand.
Well, I had my DESMOND session on Thursday, haven’t posted anything since then as I wanted to calm down a bit as I found the whole experience very frustrating!! :evil: :evil: :x
I thought one or two of you might like a laugh so here is a synopsis (I could have written a book) of what we were told and how the day went.
On arriving in the meeting room we were greeted with free tea, coffee and biscuits – yes the Hob Nobs were piled on the plate. Not one healthy snack option in sight. :lol: :lol:
The two DSN’s introduced themselves and then we went round the room while they grilled us on our current situation. I thought that this was quite difficult for some people as some of us were on medication and others not, and it became clear that those on meds felt they’d failed already. Plus being interrogated about everything about your health is quite uncomfortable
in front of a room of strangers, and if anyone asked a question the answer was either “well cover that later” (and then didn’t or “what do you think” (sadly, no one answered “if I knew the answer I wouldn’t have asked!”). Anyway, when I did my bit and they asked me if I knew why and what caused my diabetes I answered that I thought it might have a lot to do with insulin resistance – they then asked me “are you a nurse” as presumably no one who attends one of these sessions knows this!
Then we met DESMOND :lol: – a wobbly magnetic board with the outline of a man on it which they then stuck cut-out bits of his innards (some not placed anywhere near they are in the body!).
At the end of this session I did ask where his barrow was – I don’t think they got the joke but perhaps they don’t like The Beatles and I was beginning to think Ob-la-di ‘ell :lol: .
When we started to play with plastic food I nearly lost it. I had told them at the beginning of the morning that I have been a vegetarian for over 25 years and since diagnosis am 98% vegan and wanted some advice on a Low Carb Veggie diet. They gave me a plastic slice of meat – I reminded them I was veggie so they said “ooh, sorry, here you go” and gave me a plastic fish instead :roll: – I ask you (I think I started to froth at the mouth then – perhaps I rabies instead of diabetes).
So you can see how the day was panning out, and no doubt can imagine how things went when they subject of testing was brought up (not by me I add but I was going to). They said to the lady who brought it up “you really must stop testing, as its going to make you paranoid about what you eat. OK, everyone lets think of all the reasons why NOT to test”, I tried to get over the reasons why we should. I nearly blew a gasket. We were told that our PCT will not prescribe strips to Type 2s – even those on meds as it “doesn’t change anything”. Well we all know how untrue that is.
When we came to the subject of blood pressure (very pertinent with mine having gone sky high with frustration!) over half the attendees did not know what their figures were as their GP had told them “it’s normal”, so they had felt no reason to ask. They were then told by the DSN’s that they should challenge their GPs and demand the figures and unless it was 135 / 70 tell them it was not normal and have it out with them. I suggested that if they thought that people would be comfortable doing this they were sadly mistaken. Plus, if they felt this was an issue with the GPs in the area that they should issue a directive to them about what they considered “normal for a diabetic” and not leave it up to patients to do their work.
And don’t get me started on the term ‘Normal’ as we were told many times during the day that “a normal person would be.... but you [freaky abnormal people – well that’s how I was made to feel] would be.....”.
They seemed totally obsessed with talking about low fat food and no mention of reducing carbs in any way. When I questioned that fact that they had but Potatoes down on their list as a slow release carb I was totally ignored (I was obviously ear marked as a trouble making low carb obsessed nutter).
I was asked at the lunch break how I knew so much about diabetes, so told them the truth, having been diagnosed nearly 3 months ago I have had virtually no info and no support from my GP so have made it my business to find out how to deal with being a diabetic and what it all means. I got the feeling that this was something they don’t see so often.
So now we are drawing to the end of the day so best to leave us with another bitter taste in our mouths. The fact that we had probably “caused our diabetes because of our lifestyles”. Even though 4 out of the 10 of us were not over weight and one of us cycles 100 miles and week and always has done. Plus, one of the chaps with the worst numbers was probably the skinniest!
I could go on and on and on but what’s the point. It’s 7 hours of my life I’ll never get back and I’m cross about that as I could have done a lot of exercise (no, sorry “activity” – we are not allowed to use the word exercise as it signifies gyms and stuff – no, really!!!!) in that 7 hours not to mention read a book on Low Carbing or taking a class in relaxation as I needed when I got home.
I’m so disappointed :cry: as I really wanted the session to be different, but sadly had gone expecting what I got. What a waste of resources eh.
Apologies now for this being so long but I have so many niggles I just needed to vent to people who’d understand.
Well, I had my DESMOND session on Thursday, haven’t posted anything since then as I wanted to calm down a bit as I found the whole experience very frustrating!! :evil: :evil: :x
I thought one or two of you might like a laugh so here is a synopsis (I could have written a book) of what we were told and how the day went.
On arriving in the meeting room we were greeted with free tea, coffee and biscuits – yes the Hob Nobs were piled on the plate. Not one healthy snack option in sight. :lol: :lol:
The two DSN’s introduced themselves and then we went round the room while they grilled us on our current situation. I thought that this was quite difficult for some people as some of us were on medication and others not, and it became clear that those on meds felt they’d failed already. Plus being interrogated about everything about your health is quite uncomfortable
in front of a room of strangers, and if anyone asked a question the answer was either “well cover that later” (and then didn’t or “what do you think” (sadly, no one answered “if I knew the answer I wouldn’t have asked!”). Anyway, when I did my bit and they asked me if I knew why and what caused my diabetes I answered that I thought it might have a lot to do with insulin resistance – they then asked me “are you a nurse” as presumably no one who attends one of these sessions knows this!Then we met DESMOND :lol: – a wobbly magnetic board with the outline of a man on it which they then stuck cut-out bits of his innards (some not placed anywhere near they are in the body!).
At the end of this session I did ask where his barrow was – I don’t think they got the joke but perhaps they don’t like The Beatles and I was beginning to think Ob-la-di ‘ell :lol: .
When we started to play with plastic food I nearly lost it. I had told them at the beginning of the morning that I have been a vegetarian for over 25 years and since diagnosis am 98% vegan and wanted some advice on a Low Carb Veggie diet. They gave me a plastic slice of meat – I reminded them I was veggie so they said “ooh, sorry, here you go” and gave me a plastic fish instead :roll: – I ask you (I think I started to froth at the mouth then – perhaps I rabies instead of diabetes).
So you can see how the day was panning out, and no doubt can imagine how things went when they subject of testing was brought up (not by me I add but I was going to). They said to the lady who brought it up “you really must stop testing, as its going to make you paranoid about what you eat. OK, everyone lets think of all the reasons why NOT to test”, I tried to get over the reasons why we should. I nearly blew a gasket. We were told that our PCT will not prescribe strips to Type 2s – even those on meds as it “doesn’t change anything”. Well we all know how untrue that is.
When we came to the subject of blood pressure (very pertinent with mine having gone sky high with frustration!) over half the attendees did not know what their figures were as their GP had told them “it’s normal”, so they had felt no reason to ask. They were then told by the DSN’s that they should challenge their GPs and demand the figures and unless it was 135 / 70 tell them it was not normal and have it out with them. I suggested that if they thought that people would be comfortable doing this they were sadly mistaken. Plus, if they felt this was an issue with the GPs in the area that they should issue a directive to them about what they considered “normal for a diabetic” and not leave it up to patients to do their work.
And don’t get me started on the term ‘Normal’ as we were told many times during the day that “a normal person would be.... but you [freaky abnormal people – well that’s how I was made to feel] would be.....”.
They seemed totally obsessed with talking about low fat food and no mention of reducing carbs in any way. When I questioned that fact that they had but Potatoes down on their list as a slow release carb I was totally ignored (I was obviously ear marked as a trouble making low carb obsessed nutter).
I was asked at the lunch break how I knew so much about diabetes, so told them the truth, having been diagnosed nearly 3 months ago I have had virtually no info and no support from my GP so have made it my business to find out how to deal with being a diabetic and what it all means. I got the feeling that this was something they don’t see so often.
So now we are drawing to the end of the day so best to leave us with another bitter taste in our mouths. The fact that we had probably “caused our diabetes because of our lifestyles”. Even though 4 out of the 10 of us were not over weight and one of us cycles 100 miles and week and always has done. Plus, one of the chaps with the worst numbers was probably the skinniest!
I could go on and on and on but what’s the point. It’s 7 hours of my life I’ll never get back and I’m cross about that as I could have done a lot of exercise (no, sorry “activity” – we are not allowed to use the word exercise as it signifies gyms and stuff – no, really!!!!) in that 7 hours not to mention read a book on Low Carbing or taking a class in relaxation as I needed when I got home.
I’m so disappointed :cry: as I really wanted the session to be different, but sadly had gone expecting what I got. What a waste of resources eh.
